


Splintered Perspective

by reynesofcastamere



Series: Chaos Beta [1]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Humor, Dysfunctional Relationships, F/F, F/M, Force Ghost(s), Implied/Referenced Torture, POV Multiple, Past Character Death, Possible Misogyny, Possible ableism, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:20:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27547468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reynesofcastamere/pseuds/reynesofcastamere
Summary: prompt!fic: ‘How Rex or some other person from Ahsoka’s past would react to her being enemies with benefits or in a relationship with Maul.’
Relationships: Darth Maul/Ahsoka Tano, Past Barriss/Ahsoka
Series: Chaos Beta [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2013616
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	Splintered Perspective

**Author's Note:**

> For reference, this series will be where I will include any miscellaneous Maulsoka fics that aren't a part of 'Cracked Firmament' or other, specific AUs. Anyway,the prompt for this was: ‘How Rex or some other person from Ahsoka’s past would react to her being enemies with benefits or in a relationship with Maul.’ I decided to go with multiple POVs for the fun of it. And so I didn’t break myself with The Sad. Poor Rex T_T. Perspectives are not in chronological order. Mentions of past Ahsoka/Barriss. Warnings for dehumanization, mentions of torture, death, violence, some ableism and possible misogyny.(Maybe? Your mileage may vary.) Cross-posted from tumblr. Unbeta’d.

Being one with the Force is...not exactly what she had been taught to expect. Barriss Offee is part of _everything_ , all at once. Those in the Light, living and dead, she is all of them, and yet still **herself** , in a manner of speaking . Time is no longer such a rigid concept, nor is there any particular sense of urgency. What has happened was _meant_ to be, and the future...Is forever shifting, ripples overlapping in a still pool. Which is why it comes as such a surprise when she can feel Master Plo’s disapproval like a storm on the edge of breaking. At first, she cannot determine what has woken his ire, but slowly the images come into focus. _Ahsoka_.

Barriss no longer possesses a heart, and yet she cannot deny the lance of bittersweet pain through her chest. There is relief that her friend is still alive, but also regret and something bordering on envy. A feeling that only sharpens when she notices the tattooed Zabrak that Ahsoka currently has pinned down. Wait. She **knows** him. Not personally, but...He is a _Sith_ , a murderer, a **monster**. Why is Ahsoka-brash, kind, clever person that she is- smiling at **_him_**? 

It is possible that she is misinterpreting this. Both of them appear rather bruised and a touch bloody, and the lack of lightsabres doesn’t mean-She misses the words exchanged between the pair of them, but...The kiss is unmistakeably passionate, bordering on _obscene_ as the Force **crackles** around them. Somehow, this is not the worst of it. When they part for air, there is a... _look_ , shared between their eyes, and Barriss experiences true dread.

Long ago, she and Ahsoka had-been close. Intimately so. As much as anyone **could** be, following the Order’s mandate that attachment was forbidden. She’d harboured dreams then, of _maybe_ and _one day_...But no. Too much had happened, and her rosy illusions had been cruelly shattered. Somehow, watching this unfold hurts worse. Because there is something **genuine** beneath the crude physical attraction on display. Master Plo does not say a word, but his righteous indignation is so strong that it is a miracle he does not physically _manifest_ in front of them.

Her dearest companion does not belong in the Dark, with this... **creature** trapping her in his coils, dripping venom into her thoughts. Barriss can only hope Ahsoka will _extricate_ herself before it is too late.

=====

The failed apprentice. A wretched vermin who simply refuses to _die_. Not for much longer.

Darth Vader’s gaze narrows as he reviews the incident reports. A decade of **nothing** but the occasional annoyance and whispers from the dregs of the galaxy, and only _now_ does Maul scurry out from beneath whatever **rock** he has been sheltering under. **_Why?_** There is no grand plan, no great advantage in breaking into an Imperial prison. Especially one that contains such... _unimportant_ occupants.

Then again...The swathe of carnage and destruction left behind had been almost a direct path between the Dathomiran’s entry point and the interrogation chambers. Not a calculated assault, but an act of rage and desperation. Vader had felt it at the time, how the Dark Side had **_howled_** and torn at itself like a half-crazed beast. And then there was the fate of the interrogator: Hands cut off, abdominal perforation, shattered jaw,and eyes **torn** from their sockets. He had _suffered_ a great deal, however briefly.

As for the prisoner with him- Records list a female Togruta, mid-to-late twenties, with blue eyes and orange skin. Possibly Force sensitive, but difficult to determine due to her physical state upon capture. The prisoner hadn’t been in possession of anything resembling lightsabres, but had been carrying a wealth of assorted small armaments. _It couldn’t be. She died back when...We found her sabres among the graves._ Anakin Skywalker is long dead, but sometimes his ghost is loud enough to be heard over the multitudes that inhabit Vader’s hulking, monstrous shell.

Graves required someone to **dig** them first. Which meant that either some unknown individuals had come along and taken pity on a multitude of strangers...Or that the _survivours_ had done the work themselves. Yet, if Ahsoka Tano lives, and was temporarily imprisoned, it still does not explain the **identity** or methods of her unlikely rescuer. _She was sent to capture him on Mandalore, why would Snips-? Why did she leave us? We needed her when Padme-_

The room around him warps and buckles in a single, furious moment of clarity. She chose that... _animal_. That **thing** , Oh, but she’d been richly rewarded, hadn’t she? One only had to look at the risks her... ** _protector_** had taken just to secure her freedom. Approval and utter disgust war within him as he rises. **So be it**. Sentiment has already destroyed them, and it will be his _pleasure_ to finish a task that should have been resolved **long ago**. Traitors to the Empire must all be _purged_.

=====

Rex should **probably** be angry. Ahsoka is certainly looking at him like a shiny expecting a stern lecture for breaking regs. Instead he just feels... _tired_. He can’t be mad at her, not really. Maybe if he’d stuck around longer or managed to make contact more often, this wouldn’t have happened. Or maybe it would have. Maker knows his trio of Jedi could never stay out of trouble for long, and that war makes for strange alliances and even stranger... **pairings**. Still, he has to ask, because he _knows_ her, knows the depths of love and compassion that make her who she is, beneath the layers of soldier and spy.

“Is it serious?”

Ahsoka fidgets with her lekku a bit. “I don’t know.” A long pause as she inhales. “It keeps happening, and...I want to **murder** him half the time, Rex. The problem is that he _likes_ it.” The expression on her face perfectly sums up her opinion on **that** little tidbit of info. He might have laughed, under different circumstances. Instead, he takes her hands in his.

“We’ve known each other for a long time. I might not understand why you’re doing this, or how it works-” He absolutely does not need to know the mechanics, as there are not enough drugs or alcohol in the _galaxy_ to purge the associated mental images. “-but I trust your judgement. And your ability to slice his horns off and hang him from his ears over a pit of rathtars if he pushes you too far.” Rex grins, silently offering to be her backup should **that** ever happen. Kind of a surprise it hasn’t already, since Maul _never karking shuts up_ and Ahsoka’s patience has a set limit for windbags.

Her eyes are wet when she hugs him tightly. “You’ll be the first person I call, Captain. And I’m sorry.” He knows she’s not _just_ apologizing for this, not with their history.

“I’m sorry too, Commander.” Rex murmurs, hugging her back. They can stay like this for a while longer. Her superiors are just going to have to **wait**. He might not be such a good soldier anymore, but he knows _damned_ well how to be a good friend. And that’s what they both need, more than anything. People that will survive the disaster long enough to see it end, and come out smiling.

=====

_“When I warned that you might be tempted by the Dark Side, I did not expect it to be quite so_ **_literal_ ** _.”_

“Master.”

_“Then again, I suppose there is a certain appeal. Ventress was certainly a...passionate opponent. Lovely sense of humour, too. I suspect you don’t get much of that with your-No, I should think you are the better_ **_half_ ** _in this equation.”_

“Master Kenobi.” _“_

_Come now, we haven’t spoken in ages, surely you can indulge your grand-master’s curiousity.”_

“You did **not** break comm silence after _years_ of letting everyone think you were dead just to call me about my **sex life**.” 

_“_ _Well, no, but it is an unexpected bonus. How does that_ **_work_ ** _, exactly?”_

“It sounds like you’re angling for a _demonstration_.” _“_

_Oh Maker,_ **_no_ ** _. I’m not that eager to find out.”_

“Good, because I don’t particularly feel like **dealing** with him if he decides to drop everything just to hunt you down.”

_“_ _Ah. He’s...still upset about that, is he?”_

“You have **_no idea_**.” _“_

_Well then. To business. And Ahsoka?”_

“Yes, Master?”

_“_ _It is good to hear your voice again. Do take care of yourselves.”_

“You too, Master Kenobi. And don’t worry, we’ll be fine.”

_“One last question: When should I expect great-grand-padawans?”_

**_“OBI-WAN!!!!”_ **

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I had to end with levity. Especially considering the characters involved. To clarify, Anakin isn’t upset because he has any sort of romantic inclination towards Ahsoka. It’s general Darksider possessiveness/jealousy mixed in with a lot of anger and some guilt. Looking after Ahsoka’s wellbeing was ‘his’ job, so far as he’s concerned. And now it’s apparently been usurped by That One Asshole. Also, if anyone’s going to recognize that level of...obsessive regard, it’s gonna be the OG Skywalker Drama King. Many thanks to the anonymous person who requested this, both for the prompt and your compliments. Cheers!


End file.
